England’s Liam Livingstone draws massive £1.25m from Punjab Kings at IPL auction

Liam Livingstone was sold to Punjab Kings for £1.25million on the second day of the 2022 Indian Premier League auction.

The England international was involved in a bidding war in Bengaluru and saw his price rocket compared to last year, following a breakthrough 12 months.

Livingstone fetched £74,000 in 2021 and – despite scoring only 42 runs in five innings for Rajasthan Royals – the Lancashire all-rounder went on to enjoy a sensational summer in white-ball cricket.

A maiden international Twenty20 hundred off 42 balls for England against Pakistan in July was followed by being named Most Valuable Player in the inaugural edition of The Hundred.

With Livingstone’s leg-spin also effective at last year’s T20 World Cup, he become the fourth highest English player sold at an IPL auction on Sunday when Punjab Kings secured his services with a successful £1.25m bid.

Meanwhile, auctioneer Hugh Edmeades provided an update on his health before the second day of the auction.

He collapsed on Saturday midway through day one of the auction with organisers later saying he had suffered from low blood pressure.

“I want to thank all those people around the world who sent me good wishes,” Edmeades said in a video posted on the IPL’s official Twitter account.

“I am very sorry I can’t be with you in person today.

“As you can see, I am absolutely fine but I just felt I wouldn’t be able to give a 100 per cent performance, which is unfair to the BCCI, the IPL, the bidders and most importantly it would be unfair on the players.”